--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Feminism isn't whatever you want it to be." description: "\"Feminism isn't whatever you want it to be.\" — Gloria Steinem" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddb/gloria-steinem-277_feminism_feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-b_3190822.jpg" --- # Feminism isn't whatever you want it to be. ![“Feminism isn't whatever you want it to be.” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddb/gloria-steinem-277_feminism_feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-b_3190822.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddb/gloria-steinem-277_feminism_feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-b_3190822.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddb/gloria-steinem-277_feminism_feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-b_3190822.jpg) > “Feminism isn't whatever you want it to be.” [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feminism is not a vague, personal preference; it is a concrete movement for gender equality and rights. **In simple terms:** Feminism is a defined movement for equality. Key Takeaway Support gender equality actions. Themes gender equality activism identity politics Mood determined hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - workplace policy - education reform - political advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts intersectionality social justice empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How do you define feminism in your life? - What actions can you take to promote gender equality? A Different Perspective Feminism can be interpreted differently across cultures, causing confusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminism Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism-isn-861615/) [Isn Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isn-want-446196/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Feminism isn't called the longest revolution for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/feminism-isn-t-called-the-longest-revolution-for-nothing/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I've thought about what is an alternative word to feminism. There isn't one. It's a perfectly good word. And it can't be changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/i-ve-thought-about-what-is-an-alternative-word-to-feminism-there-isn/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [“Because the purpose of feminism isn’t to make a particular type of woman. The idea that there are inherently wrong and inherently right “types”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/because-the-purpose-of-feminism-isn-t-to-make-a-particular-type-of/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [The enemy of feminism isn’t men. It’s patriarchy, and patriarchy is not men. It is a system, and women can support the system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-musk/the-enemy-of-feminism-isn-t-men-it-s-patriarchy-and-patriarchy-is-not/) [Justine Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-musk/) > [On Girls I like being a mouthpiece for the issues I think young females face today. It’s always shocking when people question whether it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/on-girls-i-like-being-a-mouthpiece-for-the-issues-i-think-young/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Feminism isn't about hating men. It's about challenging the absurd gender distinctions that boys and girls learn from childhood and carry into their adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/feminism-isn-t-about-hating-men-it-s-about-challenging-the-absurd/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Feminism isn't simply about being a woman in a position of power. It's battling systemic inequities; it's a social justice movement that believes sexism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/feminism-isn-t-simply-about-being-a-woman-in-a-position-of-power-it-s/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [“The academic and writer Sara Ahmed has written brilliantly about the idea of the feminist killjoy, and why it should be embraced – because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kira-cochrane/the-academic-and-writer-sara-ahmed-has-written-brilliantly-about-the/) [Kira Cochrane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kira-cochrane/) > [No, feminism isn't 'over.' We need it not only to challenge injustice but because the whole gender expectations thing is bad for men, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/no-feminism-isn-t-over-we-need-it-not-only-to-challenge-injustice-but/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Feminism isn't just for women. It's for men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abi-morgan/feminism-isn-t-just-for-women-it-s-for-men/) [Abi Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abi-morgan/) > [I personally feel like the conversation around feminism has advanced a lot. People are starting to realize privileged white feminism isn't cutting it. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esme-creed-miles/i-personally-feel-like-the-conversation-around-feminism-has-advanced/) [Esme Creed-Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esme-creed-miles/) > [“Quite how a heterosexual couple hiring a female cleaner ends up as a betrayal of feminism isn't terribly clear- unless you believe running a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/quite-how-a-heterosexual-couple-hiring-a-female-cleaner-ends-up-as-a/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [Young women know that something is off; they know that the world is a messed-up place. They know that the world is a sexist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/young-women-know-that-something-is-off-they-know-that-the-world-is-a/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [We think that maybe feminism isn't appropriate anymore, since Western women have really made enormous strides. But check out the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/we-think-that-maybe-feminism-isn-t-appropriate-anymore-since-western/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [But feminism isn't served by simply promoting women over men. The winner needs to be the best candidate for the job, not the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-reid/but-feminism-isn-t-served-by-simply-promoting-women-over-men-the/) [Susanna Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-reid/) ## More by Gloria Steinem > [People waste more time waiting for someone to take charge of their lives than they do in any other pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/people-waste-more-time-waiting-for-someone-to-take-charge-of-their/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/nothing-will-happen-automatically-change-depends-on-what-you-and-i-do/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Women are never again going to be mindless coffee-makers or mindless policy-makers in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/women-are-never-again-going-to-be-mindless-coffee-makers-or-mindless/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The state of female artists is very good. But the very definition of art has been biased in that 'art' was what men did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-state-of-female-artists-is-very-good-but-the-very-definition-of/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I started out life as a writer, and writers write in part because they don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-started-out-life-as-a-writer-and-writers-write-in-part-because-they/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Proust's tea cake has nothing on one hour in a college dorm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/proust-s-tea-cake-has-nothing-on-one-hour-in-a-college-dorm/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Sadomasochiasm - which we know very well doesn't exist in societies that don't have child abuse - is regarded some sort of natural sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/sadomasochiasm-which-we-know-very-well-doesn-t-exist-in-societies/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Behave like everything you do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/behave-like-everything-you-do-matters/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Part of traveling over years means coming back to the same place and knowing it for the first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/part-of-traveling-over-years-means-coming-back-to-the-same-place-and/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-you-say-i-m-for-equal-pay-that-s-a-reform-but-if-you-say-i-m-a/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I think that part of everybody's success is due to their looks, but it just works in different ways. If you're whatever society calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-think-that-part-of-everybody-s-success-is-due-to-their-looks-but-it/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Of course, we can change. We're very adaptable. But it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/of-course-we-can-change-we-re-very-adaptable-but-it-takes-a-while/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) [Explore all 766 Gloria Steinem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More Feminism quotes > [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/) [Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/) > [Without meaning to sound anti-men, ghastly women are the closest you get to a male role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/without-meaning-to-sound-anti-men-ghastly-women-are-the-closest-you/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) [Joseph Joffre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joffre/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“there was something of the women molded into the great, stalwart frame of Hollingsworth; nor was he ashamed of it; as men often are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-was-something-of-the-women-molded-into-the-great-stalwart-frame/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [“Bármilyen idiótának, aki azt kérdezi: „Feminista vagy? Akkor elégeted a melltartóidat, mi? HE? Melltartókat égetsz, te feminista?” – szép nyugodtan így kell válaszolni: „Ostoba.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/b-rmilyen-idi-t-nak-aki-azt-k-rdezi-feminista-vagy-akkor-el-geted-a/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) [Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/) [Browse all 15,705 Feminism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Feminism isn't whatever you want it to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gloria Steinem" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feminism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddb/gloria-steinem-277_feminism_feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-b_3190822.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddb/gloria-steinem-277_feminism_feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-b_3190822.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddb/gloria-steinem-277_feminism_feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-b_3190822.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Feminism isn't whatever you want it to be.” — Gloria Steinem", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gloria Steinem", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Feminism isn't whatever you want it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/feminism-isn-t-whatever-you-want-it-to-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```